Following a strategic planning process that began last September, the Getty Trust today unveiled a strategic plan that strengthened the Getty’s commitment to collaboration between its four programs, local and international leadership in the visual arts, collecting by both the Museum and the Getty Research Institute, and the flexibility to undertake new initiatives and respond to emerging needs in the field.

“Our overarching goal is to be one of the best and most influential visual arts institutions in the world; one that strategically combines the collecting and presentation of works of art of the highest quality with an international commitment to advancing the practice of conservation and the creation of knowledge through research,” said Getty Trust President and CEO James Wood.

In particular, the strategic plan calls for a Major Acquisition and Strategic Initiatives fund that will allow the Getty to respond more nimbly to emerging issues and special projects as they arise, as well as continue the collecting that is central to the mission of both the Museum and the Getty Research Institute.

The Getty’s FY 09 budget is aligned with the Strategic Plan, focusing spending on its goals and trimming the cost of Getty programs and operations in order to ensure longterm financial stability. “It is clear to the Getty’s Board and senior staff that the cost of the Getty programs and operations would eventually exceed our resources, and that we wanted to more closely align our spending with our goals,” said Wood.

The budget calls for limited staff reductions, the vast majority of which were achieved through attrition. Fewer than 40 staff members were laid off, and many of those took a voluntary buy-out plan. Staff will also assume a greater percentage of the cost of health care beginning in 2009. Other changes include an increase in parking (from $8 to $10) and a change in visitor hours, both taking place next fall. Beginning in September, the Getty will close at 5:30 pm, Tuesdays through Fridays, remaining open until 9pm on Saturdays.

The J. Paul Getty Trust is an international cultural and philanthropic institution devoted to the visual arts that features the Getty Conservation Institute, the Getty Foundation, the J. Paul Getty Museum, and the Getty Research Institute. The J. Paul Getty Trust and Getty programs serve a varied audience from two locations: the Getty Center in Los Angeles and the Getty Villa in Malibu.